Fire-escape



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HOBBS, OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA.

Finn-Essarts.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,318, dated October 9, 1860.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES Hoses, of Columbus, in the county of Bartholemew and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, represents a front elevation of my invention, in its application to a window. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the basket which I use for the purpose of saving aged or infirm persons. Fig. 3, is a detached elevation of the device, which I employ for regulating the friction on the rope,

in an enlarged scale. Fig. 4, is a vertical.

transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to de scribe its construction and operation with reference to the drawing. m

The rope A, which serves to lower persons or articles from a window, or from the roof of a burning building, or from any other high position, passes through between two plates B, B, winding around a series of studs a, which are secured in a zig-zag line in one of the plates B, and which form the guides for the other plate B. The two plates are kept together by means of a screw C, which passes through their centers and a spiral spring o, placed between the two plates serves to keep them apart. The distance between the two plates is regulated by a handle c, screwing on the central screw C. The position of the studs a, in relation to each other is such that the friction of the rope passing around them would in itself be sufficient to check to a certain extent the speed of a descending weight suspended from a hook d, at the bottom edge of the plate B.

In order to introduce the rope A between the plates B, B, the plate B', is taken off, the rope is wound around the studs, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in dotted lines, and the plate B, is now screwed down by means of the handle c, until it presses sufficiently hard on the rope to produce the required friction.

The rope A is drawn over a pulley e, which is suspended from the outside of a window or from the place from which persons or articles are to be lowered. Two eyes f, may be screwed in the outside of the window frame to receive the hooks g, attached to the ends of a short rope h, which passes through the hook i, in the upper side of the pulley block as clearly shown in Fig. l, or the pulley c, may be suspended from any convenient spot and in any desirable manner.

The end of the rope A, which has been passed over the pulley e, is provided with a ring a', and it is connected by means of a hook j, and ring la, with the belt or strap C. This strap connects by means of the hook d, with the plate B, and suspended from it by means of the rings 7c, 7s', is the additional strap or seat D. If a person wishes to descend from a high position, the pulley block e, is fastened as above described or in any other convenient manner, the friction plates B, B', are adjusted according to the weight of the descending person, and the person steps out and takes a seat on the strap D. The st-rap C, is now fastened under the arms and around the chest, and the descent is made without dan- It will be easily understood that some power is required to slide the friction plates along on the rope A, and the power increases with the pressure exerted by the plates B, B', on the rope. At the same time the rope as it passes through between the plates, B, B', is subjected to a certain wear, and this wear increases considerably with a slight addition to the pressure exerted by the plates. By passing the rope A, over the pulley c, the weight suspended from the same, is divided over two branches of the rope, one branch being situated between the pulley eand the hook j and the other between the pulley e, and the friction plates a B, B', and each of these branches has to sustain one half of the weight of the descending person or persons or articles. For this reason the amount of friction on the rope passing through between the friction plates, which is required to produce the desired effect in checking the speed of the descent, will be considerably smaller than it would be with the whole weight suspended from the friction plates, and the wear which the rope is subjected to is reduced in proportion.

The speed of the descent may however be checked at pleasure either by the descending person or persons, or by persons attending to the operation from the ground by exerting a more or less powerful strain, on that end of the rope A, which is suspended from the friction plates B, B.

A guy rope Z, serves to guide the person or articles during the descent and if it is desired to lower several persons at one and the same time the stra C, is taken 0E and a basket E, is substitute This basket is reptime to arrange the escape in the proper Working condition, and if it is in the hands of the fire department, the firemen Will readily understand hovv to attach it in any convenient place, ready for immediate use.

The simplicity of this device is unsurpassed, it can be made cheap, it is light, and easily carried from place to place, and it Will be readily understood, even by persons of little mechanical ingenuity.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the clamping plates BB, With the screvv C, crank c, and spring b, as herein shown and described for the purpose set forth.

JAS. HOBBS.

Witnesses:

A. K. TINGLE, WVM. C. Anfr'r.V 

